


Goddess of Chance

by Gonzolidation



Category: Original Work
Genre: Consensual Sex, Dungeon, F/F, Fantasy, Strip Chess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-23 00:55:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20331379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gonzolidation/pseuds/Gonzolidation
Summary: An adventurer at the end of her career goes off the edge of the map in search of a forgotten shrine, only to find that its occupant wants to challenge her to a little game.





	Goddess of Chance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ruis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruis/gifts).

> I will be honest, requester: You had me at 'strip chess'. So here you go!

_Canopy's so thick that I can't see the sky, can't judge my direction,_ Nua thought, swinging her machete from side to side to clear the vines in front of her as she tried to keep her green eyes fixed upon what she hoped was a trail. _I mean, it's not that I haven't been in a jungle before, but never as heavy as this. Was I stupid for thinking people used to_ live _here_?

She had followed her map – a map that had itself been the object of a quest involving a dungeon full of traps – to its edge, and had then plunged into a green-tinted darkness that had almost seemed like another world, all in search of a goal that had been her object since she had first picked up a compass.

_The picture from the old book,_ she thought, licking her lips, _the First Shrine of the Goddess of Chance_. The Goddess of Chance – patroness of gamblers, rogues, and thieves, but also adventurers. She had existed since before the building of the first city, had accompanied humans since the days when they roamed the wastelands to gather and hunt. And Nua had made it her mission to find the place where the worship of Her had originated.

_Just Her_. She cleared another curtain of vines, flicking her machete to one side to remove their juices from its blade. _She's been with us for so long that nobody even knows what to call Her. Wouldn't that be the biggest find?_ In spite of her exhaustion, she smiled to herself. _The Goddess' name. That's worth more than any mountain of treasure. Truly priceless_.

Nua paused, tilting her head. A new noise, different from all of the beasts and insects that had been shadowing her steps for days. _Is that – ?_ Water, rushing and roaring. _A waterfall. That means I've reached the —_

One more stroke of the machete, and she emerged into sunlight. It took her a moment to adjust to the brightness, but, once she did, her mouth dropped open and stayed open at the sight in front of her: a waterfall pouring down into a canyon, and, set into the walls of that canyon, a ruin so large that it might have been a city in the distant past. And one building in that ruin, partially concealed by the mist rising up from below the waterfall, still seemed intact.

_That's it,_ Nua thought, grinning. _It almost_ has _to be!_ She squinted at the ruins, her practiced gaze picking a path amidst all of the crumbling structures. _Well, no sense messing up and falling to my death when I'm so close. Guess I'll have to be patient for just a bit longer_. She looked up to check the hour. _Sun's still high in the sky. I should be able to get there before I lose light. Can't rush, but I can't dawdle_.

As she carefully made her way through the stone and debris, pausing frequently to check her footing, she thought back upon her career. There had been dungeons, yes, since the beginning, but that had only been one facet of it. She had been to war, and more than once. She had been to prison, too, though she had never failed to escape. And she had helped send others to prison. It seemed to her like she always had been on both sides of every coin.

_And they had the nerve to suggest that I should think about retiring_. She grimaced as several pebbles skittered down into the canyon from beneath her right foot. _Well, some of us_ can't _retire. I can't stomach the thought of sitting around a place that's supposed to be my home with nothing to do_. Her grimace turned back into a smile. _Besides, as far as I'm concerned, I'm still young. I can definitely still move the way I used to_.

As if to prove her point, she skipped from one ledge to the next, never missing a step. _I mean, if the Tower of Blades couldn't kill me, and if I got through that without losing any limbs, then I'm still pretty sharp_. The waterfall loomed ahead of her, and the First Shrine behind it. _Doesn't mean I shouldn't be cautious, though. Got to pace myself. I'll wager that place isn't as close to me as it looks. Stop and breathe, think and move_.

To her lack of surprise, the sun was starting to set by the time she reached the entrance of the shrine. _First rule of adventuring: It's never as simple as it looks_. She took a deep breath. _Well, it's not going anywhere. No time to get in there like the present, is there?_ And she stepped through the archway, looking to see how much of the remaining daylight made it down to her through the cracks in the roof. _Eh, good enough. No torch needed_.

The atmosphere inside the building had a heaviness to it that she could not place. _Old magic. Not bad magic, though. That's a different feeling. Maybe it's just because of how old the place is?_ She kept her eyes sharp for anything lurking in the shadows. _With all the jungle around here, you'd think there'd be monsters. Maybe there's something here that scares them?_

Nua made her way to the heart of the First Shrine, the waterfall a distant roar behind her. In place of an altar, though, she spied what appeared to be ... a game board. _Kings and pawns, eh? Didn't realize it was that old_. And it appeared to be free of dust, with all the pieces set up for a game. _If I didn't know better, I'd say that there was somebody here waiting_.

"Hello," a female voice said. Nua had been positive she had been alone in the sanctuary, and long experience had prepared her for all kinds of surprises, but ... a person had appeared at the game board, her hands resting on the stone as if she had always been there. Tall. Ageless. Hair long and dark. Skin rich and sun-darkened. A many-layered dress of browns and greens hinting at a full figure. Eyes so deep and green that they did not seem natural.

"And a fine 'Hello!' to you, too," Nua replied, doing her best to hide her surprise. "If I didn't know better, I'd say the two of us were related." She swallowed. "But ... what are you doing here, of all places, all by yourself?"

"Well, I've been waiting for you, Nua," the stranger said, smiling enigmatically. "For quite a while, actually. It's taken you your entire life to get to this point. Fortunately, I've got a great deal of patience." Her smile acquired a note of sadness. "And, without everything you've experienced, you wouldn't have made it all the way here. You and I both know that."

"You know my name." Nua walked up to the game board. "And there's no way we would've met before, I think, so –" She bowed her head. "– I've never been the most devout person, but I've seen enough in my life to know that there's always been a chance of the gods being real." She looked up at the stranger. "And, if this is the First Shrine, then you're probably the Goddess of Chance." She tilted her head. "Doesn't explain the resemblance, though."

The stranger shrugged. "I'm not the Goddess of any one people, so it stands to reason that I can appear to belong to all or none. I thought you'd be most comfortable dealing with someone who looks like a person you might have met." Her eyes gleamed, boundless power apparent in their green depths. "And that's also why I don't have a name in any human language. If I belong to all of you, naming me ties me down, and true Chance answers to no one. So that's a prize I cannot give you." She tapped the game board with one finger. "But you'll not leave here empty-handed ... provided that you are willing to play."

Nua did not attempt to conceal the concern in her face. "You've got a pretty big edge on me there, Goddess. It wouldn't surprise me if you _invented_ this game, honestly." She thought about it for a second. "_Did_ you?"

The Goddess smiled. "No, but the creator left the first board – _this_ board, in fact – here as an offering to me. And she taught me the rules." She steepled her fingers. "Don't be nervous, though. Experience only goes so far with kings and pawns. I wouldn't ask you to play, otherwise." She narrowed her eyes, green light dancing in their irises. "And I know you've played this for life-or-death stakes in the past. I'm not asking for anything so dire."

"You're ... right," Nua said, remembering one game of kings and pawns that had required the loser to drink poison and die. She had come a little too close to losing that game, and the face of her dead opponent had stayed with her. "All right, then. What are the stakes? The rules? Anything I need to know?"

"For each piece I take, you must give me one of your possessions," the Goddess said, "and the same applies to me. Should I take everything of yours, I shall make you my plaything. Should you take everything of mine, I shall give you a prize that will be well worth your quest." She rested her hands on the edge of the board. "Is that fair, Nua? You have the right to turn your back and walk away from this board, but, if you do, you shall not see me again in this life."

"I didn't come this far, halfway across the world and completely off the map, to back down now," Nua said without hesitation, "so, if you're ready, since you're hosting the game, I think that entitles you to the first move."

"Thank you." And she started by moving one of her pawns.

_Kings and pawns is all about thinking as many moves ahead as you can without letting your emotions get the best of you,_ Nua thought as she considered the board. _When you think about it, it's not really a game of chance at all. It's a game of strategy. Seems odd that she'd pick it_. She leafed through possible moves in her head. _Or maybe that's exactly_ why _she picked it? If it was a real game of chance, I'd stand no chance_. She squinted at the pieces. _I guess that's her way of being fair_. A deep breath. _Here goes. I can't think too hard about the consequences_. But a stray thought lingered. _Plaything, huh? Makes me wonder a bit_.

Several moves passed before the Goddess took a pawn. "First blood." She considered Nua with her gaze. "For that, I'll take your bandoleer."

"All right." A bandoleer full of knives, and each knife had a story behind it, the oldest going all the way back to her childhood. _I don't think it's my possessions she's after. If I didn't know better, I'd say she just wanted to strip me_. She resisted the urge to smile. _She must know I've played the game this way before. Can't say I had a problem with the outcome last time_. That had involved a priestess and a long night of passion afterwards. "Here you go." She took off her bandoleer and set it aside.

Several more moves later, and another pawn fell. "You're not making this easy for me." The Goddess seemed amused. "For that, I'll take your boots."

"They've been through a lot of jungle," Nua joked as she took them off, "so don't take a whiff. I think they'd offend even your divine sensibilities."

"Fair!" The Goddess laughed. "I wasn't expecting you here in your best, anyway. Not that I'd want you to track your best through the wilderness." Her face turned neutral again, though her eyes still smiled. "Your move."

Three moves, and Nua managed to take a pawn. "There we go!" She furrowed her brow. "I, uh, don't know what I should request, so ... your choice, Goddess?"

"All right." She unfastened a catch, and one entire layer of her dress fell from her shoulders, pooling at her feet. "You _do_ have a bit of an advantage, you know. I don't have as many things to take off as you do." Another gleam in her eyes. "I suppose that makes things a bit more fair."

"Unless you're using it as an opportunity to mess with my concentration," Nua rejoined, "because that's what a smart player would do, and I'm not about to remotely suggest that you're stupid." She grinned. "Your move again."

Pieces started to fall into difficult positions on the board. A knight had to be sacrificed to protect a bishop for a ploy that Nua had planned four moves down the line. "Interesting. Your belt, if you please." And the belt made a _clunk_ as it hit the floor, its multiple pouches all full of tools of the trade, most of them vintage. "I _think_ I see your intentions." And she did, anticipating the ploy and moving several pieces to protect her queen, though it cost her a rook. That cost her another layer of her dress.

Nua did her best not to be distracted. The Goddess had sacrificed enough of her modesty that the adventurer could not help but notice details of her figure – the peak of a nipple against the fabric that remained, the swell of a hip, the curve of her belly. It reminded her of previous adventures, but ... not enough to take her mind from the game. Her ploy had failed, and she had to scramble to make up for it. That play for time cost her another pawn.

"A good save, but I'll take your tunic." Nua had not felt self-conscious in years, but she did as she discarded the garment, keenly aware of how the Goddess was looking at her body. "Would you believe me if I told you I could tell you the story of how you got each of your scars, Nua, even the ones that have faded with time?" Nua had no doubt that she could, but – "After the game, perhaps." And yet – "My favorite is the one below your ribs on your right side, three inches long. You didn't get that from any adventure." She smiled. "That was from a lover's quarrel. And she didn't even mean to hurt you."

"Yeah, I remember," Nua murmured, "but I can't let that distract me." It had involved one of the rare occasions when she adventured with a party, and her partner – another thief, as it happened – had disagreed with her about which one of them should get a particularly rare coin. It had been silly, it had been petty, and it had been no reason to bleed, but it had happened.

"Perhaps you _are_ distracted?" Because the next move cost Nua a rook. "That'll cost you your breeches." She laughed. "Not that you mind. They keep the bugs from biting in the jungle, but they're too heavy for the heat."

"Maybe," Nua said as she unlaced her breeches and wiggled her hips to get herself out of them, "but laugh while you can, Goddess. I'm not finished."

"Not yet," the Goddess admitted, "but I only need to take two more pieces to threaten your king, as I'm sure you're aware." She smiled. "It really isn't like you to be self-conscious. You've had to run naked through a dungeon to avoid being electrocuted before. The stakes here aren't so high as that."

"You keep _saying_ that." Nua moved her next piece, and the Goddess lost a knight. "It makes me wonder how many layers you have left over there."

"As it happens –" The Goddess undid a clasp at her shoulder. "– not that many." That layer that dropped to the floor bared her to the waist. "Is this to your satisfaction, Nua? There is nothing that says that you cannot still be my plaything if you win, too." Her smile promised a great deal. "After all, how long did it take you to get through all of that jungle? Not just days, but weeks, months. I'm sure you've got an itch that you could stand to scratch."

"You're ... not wrong." Nua forced her eyes down to the board, but the Goddess leaned forward, making her breasts impossible to ignore. "That's – c'mon."

"I suppose it's a _bit_ unfair," the Goddess admitted. "My move." And Nua lost another bishop. "Your bandeau." One quick gesture, and off it went. "I still remember when you got that tattoo." A red bird on her left breast, its long tail curling around her nipple. "Only a little alcohol was involved, and you did it to memorialize a lover who died in the dungeon the day before." A sentimental smile. "You've got a sentimental side, Nua. I know you do."

"Again, you're not wrong." Another move, one she knew would cost her a pawn, but that would also prevent her king from being threatened. "All you now."

"So it is." The pawn took a bow. "Your thong." She practically drank up Nua with her gaze. "Well, you've put the lie to me. Your king is still protected. Let's see if you can turn this around." She narrowed her eyes, the light in them contracting to points of green in her pupils. "But losing other pieces might cost you, even if you have no more clothing to offer me."

"Let's see." Nua had a plan, and it had yet to be punctured. "Here." She took a pawn and left the Goddess with very little room to move her king, especially considering she already had her queen cut off. "Anything left, Goddess?"

"One thing." The last of her dress dropped to the floor, and she rested a hand on one bare hip. "But your plan is not as successful as you might think." Another rook. "Let me show what that little stunt is going to cost you." She came to the other side of the table and kissed Nua hard on the mouth, using one thumb to tease her nipples as she used her free hand to squeeze her thigh.

"I-I'm still not done," Nua said after the Goddess released her, though her heart raced, "because ... _here_." The king stood cornered. "Checkmate."

The Goddess looked down at the board, stroking her chin. "And ... yes, you're right." She grinned. "I knew I was right about you, Nua. Well done."

"And ... my prize?" Nua still could not slow down her heart. She had been kissed, touched, loved by many in her travels, but none of it had fired her nerves the way the Goddess had in that short while. _Another kiss like that, and I'll do anything she wants, probably for the rest of my life_.

"You're an adventurer who's spent her life trying to get back to the place where all adventures began," the Goddess said, walking up behind her and wrapping her arms around her middle. "And here you are. You've done it. You're worthy to take a place in the heavens by my side, to look down on others like you and follow the course of their lives the way I've followed yours." She then whispered in her ear: "And I'm sure you've already figured it out, but it will only take one night with me to change you. That's why we played."

"You know what they'll say," Nua said, closing her eyes as the Goddess sucked lightly on her neck. "I went into the jungle and disappeared, a victim of my own foolhardiness." A sharp intake of breath as the other woman licked the edge of her ear. "That's ... not exactly how a good legend begins, you know."

"You say that now, Nua," the Goddess said, "but give it time, and that small kernel of truth will grow into stories, legends, myths. I can promise you that. Just come with me –" She turned Nua to face her. "– and you'll be able to see it for yourself, every mention of your name across the world, down to the smallest whisper. That's nothing to do with chance." She kissed her on the forehead. "That's fate, which is a very different thing indeed."

"When you put like that –" Nua smiled, resting her hands on the hips of the Goddess. "– you do kind of make it hard to refuse the offer, don't you?" _And, if you already know everything about me, then you knew what my answer was going to be long before I ever set sail for this place, years ago_.

"Perhaps." Above the First Shrine, as she kissed Nua on the lips again and snaked one hand between her legs, the sun disappeared behind the horizon.

When the sun rose again, the shrine again lay empty.

**END**.


End file.
